Kent State College of Business Administration Launches Master of Science in Business Analytics

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APRIL 2016

Kent State University’s College of Business Administration is now accepting Fall 2016 applications for its new Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) degree which can be completed in just one year.

The MSBA program requires a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, mathematics or business with prerequisites that include mathematics, information systems and business. The MSBA program will provide graduates with the ability to lead, communicate, innovate, manage complex projects and creatively solve problems and find opportunities.

“The skills of business analytics professionals include leadership, decision-making, organizational and project management to maximize their benefit to the organization,” said Alan Brandyberry, D.B.A., associate professor of management and information systems. “We’re adding the MSBA as a response to an industry demand and because current programs in Northeast Ohio cannot adequately serve this region’s needs.”

A McKinsey Global Institute’s study estimates that about 190,000 big data experts will be needed in the United States by 2018. Thus, the job market for analytics and big data experts is robust and transcends all business sectors including retail, banking, healthcare, the public sector and Fortune 500 corporations. As analytics remains to solidify its place in business, algorithm programmers have become progressively essential in helping companies better comprehend the data they collect. Companies have a need for analysts that can pick out important pieces of data, make sense of it and translate it back to the company for a better understanding.

“The MSBA program provides a competitive advantage for students wanting to become business analytics professionals,” said Deborah F. Spake, dean of the Kent State College of Business Administration. “Our ultimate goal is for MSBA graduates to join the elite ranks of big data experts that are highly paid by employers and aggressively sought by recruiters.”

The Kent State University MSBA program focuses on technologies, analytical methods and business expertise to provide the skills needed to analyze potentially large data sets for strategic business decision making. It is a 10-course, 30-credit-hour program that can be completed in 12 months. The eight required and two elective courses prepare students to make sense of often complex and unstructured data, mine vast quantities of information, visualize patterns, detect trends to direct customer behavior, create operating efficiencies, build new business models, disrupt the competitive status quo and spark innovation.